Redemption
by Pari
Summary: What really happens when we die. Is there a hereafter? Do we get redemption? This story picks up right after the 'series' finale of TVD. The rating is subject to change! THIS IS A BAMON FIC, I ONLY WRITE BAMON IN THIS FANDOM!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** _So, TVD is officially over and what a suck ass ending. Sorry but in my humble opinion is was crap. However, it does give us a clean slate to continue things and try to do it better. I actually couldn't sleep, I literally had to get up to work on this idea that kept nagging me. I have a general outline but it will probably change as I go along. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the read and will provide me some feedback. Thanks_

* * *

 **Redemption**

The last thing he remembered was clutching his best friend's hand as she sat at his bedside. Her voice drowned out the beeping monitors he had been attached to, her face blocked those of the different nurses that often came in to check on him. She was all he had left in the world and he was all she had left, because neither of them had ever had children, and they both had lost their spouses over a decade prior. He hadn't wanted to leave her alone because he knew doing so would be breaking the promise he had made her so many years before. In fact, he had feared leaving her all alone even more than he feared the death that was coming to claim him, or what may come after it. He hadn't been a bit surprised when she had leaned over, placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, and whispered that he could go and that she would be fine. Damon Salvatore's 94-year-old body was tired and so when his best friend, Bonnie Bennett, told him to go he didn't fight it. He closed his eyes and took his last breath.

When he opened his eyes he had been shocked and pleasantly surprised to be standing at the door of his homestead. He didn't know why he had knocked because that was something he had never done before. He devised that it had been due to his fear of what or who dwelled on the other side of the door, or more importantly who didn't. When the door finally opened he was struck with a joy the likes of which he had never experienced before. In that instance, the one question that had plagued him most in the last year of his vampire life and for the remainder of his human had finally been answered. There was such a thing as redemption and it seemed that despite all the evil and depraved things they had done once upon a time, Damon Salvatore and his little brother Stefan had been given it.

"You know, I didn't expect you so soon," Stefan spoke into his older brother's ear as they stood locked in a tight embrace.

"I was nearly 95, so I think I'm a little overdue," Damon replied with a smile and he patted his brother's back and they finally pulled apart. Damon stood looking over the threshold at the place he had always called home and it looked the same as it always had. He had continued to live there for a short time after Stefan's death until Elena headed off to medical school. Then, the boarding house had been donated to Alaric and Caroline and turned into a school. After Elena had graduated and they moved back to Mystic Falls, they had decided to live out the remainder of their days together in a much smaller, modest home. "This place hasn't changed," Damon stated as Stefan stepped back allowing him to cross the threshold. He hurried to the living room with a huge smile plastered on his face which faltered at only finding that the only lively thing in it had been the blazing fire in the fireplace. Stefan followed his brother and stood just in the doorway watching him.

"I'm sorry Damon, but Elena's not here," He answered the question that he could see was racing through his brother's mind. Damon simply nodded his head.

"It's ok little, brother, I'm ok," He assured and then turned to face the younger Salvatore with a genuine smile on his face. "I got to spend 40 amazing years with her before she died."

"That's good, I'm glad," Stefan said returning the smile.

"Yeah, me too," said a feminine voice from around the corner a second before Lexi Branson bounced into the room. "Hello, Damon," She greeted as Damon stared dumbstruck. Lexi giggled a bit at his reaction to seeing her. "It's ok Damon I forgive you for killing me. Yeah, for a while there, when I was literally burning in hell for a couple of eternities I was a little bitter, but then you helped destroy hell and now we're all here. So, all's forgiven but don't do it again, Ok?" She smiled and then turned to her best friend and gave him a playful swat on the shoulder. "Guess I'll be going to the Grille alone now, so you two can catch up. I'll bring you guys something back," She tossed over her shoulder as she headed out.

"Lexi's here," Damon said stating the obvious.

"Yep, she was actually waiting for me outside of the school when I died and was … I don't know what to call it really, reborn?" Stefan replied.

"Ok, and the Grille is open here?" Damon questioned further trying to make sense of this new world he found himself in.

"Yeah, we're still in Mystic Falls and it's a lively town," Stefan answered. "In fact, this is a very lively 'world'. Lexi and I spent the first century or so just traveling the globe," His words only made Damon's brow bunch even more with confusion. "I don't know exactly where this is, or why we were brought here, but I know one thing for sure, it's not the afterlife."

"But we died," Damon said again stating the obvious.

"I don't think we did," Stefan responded. "I know this is going to sound crazy," Damon arched a brow to this and Stefan smirked and continued. "Ok, crazier, but I think at the moment of our 'deaths' in the other world, our world, we were teleported someplace else a different world. Also, there's something else you should know," He said and Damon's eyes grew wide as the human guise melted off of Stefan's face and was replaced with his vampiric mask. Damon then tested this and easily pulled forth his vampire side.

"So, when we died the reset button was pushed and now we get to relive the good ole evil days all over again," Damon said sarcastically as he made his way to the bar to pour himself a drink. "And I thought we destroyed hell."

"It's not hell Damon," Stefan spoke as he stepped into the room and turned to face his brother.

"That sounds pretty hellish to me, and it also explains why Elena isn't here since there's no way she'd ever be sent to hell. No, dear brother only bad people like us end up in a hell world," Damon proclaimed and then lifted his shot glass of bourbon in the air in a toast and then drank it all in one gulp. "At least the bourbon here is delicious," He mumbled as he poured another drink. As he was lifting it to his lips a knock came to the door. "Well, it seems the people in our hell world are polite. I'll get it," Damon then sat the glass of liquid down exited the living room, and made his way to the door. "Whatever you're selling we don't want-" His words died on his lips the second he swung the door open and locked eyes to the person on the other side. "Bonnie?" Damon half spoke, half gasped as his enlarged eyes drank her in.

"The one and only," She replied with a crooked smile. Her words evoked a long ago nostalgic memory in both of them, as a big happy, goofy smile spread across Damon's face and he opened his arms to her. She easily leaped into his waiting arms. They hugged each other tightly while laughing as Damon twirled them around. His joy was short-lived when he remembered something.

"No," He spoke out as he settled a baffled Bonnie back onto the ground and held her back at shoulder's length. "You're not supposed to be here," He said as a scowl covered his face and anger began to fill his soul.

"Damon, I died," Bonnie stated as if it explained everything. "I lasted another 5 years after you died, but believe me I was ready when my time came. Where is everybody, are they inside?" She asked as she moved past him and rushed inside. "Elena, Enzo?" She called out just as she got to the entrance way of the living room.

"Hello, Bonnie," Stefan greeted her with a kind yet nervous smile. Even after all of the time that had passed for him in this world, he was still filled with regret over how he had wronged Bonnie and Enzo. However, the endearing smile on Bonnie's face and the tears in her eyes spoke of her forgiveness.

"Hi, Stefan," She replied and she hurried to him and enveloped him in a hug. It took him a second to allow himself to melt into it with a relieved sigh as he closed his eyes and breathed in her sweet smell. "It's ok, I forgave you a long time ago," She whispered to him making him smile. "Besides," She continued as she released him. "If I can forgive Damon, I can forgive anyone."

"Why are you here?" Damon asked as he stood just within the doorway, and the way his eyes locked onto the floor it was obvious the question had been for himself and not for anyone else to answer. "You shouldn't be here, you can't be here," He went on.

"Why not and where are Elena and Enzo?" Bonnie asked as she turned an excited smile upon Stefan who gave her a sad face in return.

"They're not here, Bonnie," He said and her face crumbled as confusion washed over it. "I'm so sorry."

"No, that's not right. They should be here," Bonnie exclaimed as a single tear fell from her eyes. "They're supposed to be here."

"No, they're not," Damon said as he took a step closer to her and then paused and frowned up a bit. "Actually, Enzo should be here. This is hell, so why is Bonnie here and Enzo isn't?" He asked through a frown and this time an answer came.

"This isn't hell … yet," A female's voice filled the room and the three beings within the room simultaneously turned to stare at the young beautiful black woman now standing in the doorway. "And you're all here because I brought you here."

"Why?" Stefan was the first to speak. "And who are you?"

"My name is Drusilla Bennett, and I brought you here to undo the mess that you've created," She answered. Three shocked faces stood staring at her for a moment before one snapped out of it and made his way back to the bar.

"So, you're a Bennett and also a witch I presume," Damon said directly to the young woman who nodded her head in reply. "Great, even in my afterlife I'm stuck with Bennett witches. See, told you little brother, this is hell," Upon seeing the glare Bonnie was throwing his way he revised his statement. "My best friend excluded," He gave Bonnie a wink and then tossed back the shot of whiskey he had poured.

"You said you wanted us to undo a mess we've created?" Stefan continued his inquisition. "What did we do exactly?"

"Well, let's see, you've 'literally' opened hell on Earth," Drusilla announced and three sets of shocked eyes locked on to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** _So, here's another_ chappy _. Please forgive any typos I am literally typing this up as my Muse feeds it to me. I am trying very hard to make it all make sense because we're dealing with two worlds/planes/times etc. Try not to think too hard on the technicalities and just enjoy the story, your head will hurt less that way, trust me on this ;) As always please give a review, feedback is always nice to get. Thanks!_

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"So, we didn't destroy hell," Stefan said in a defeated tone as he and the other sat listening to Drusilla tell them about what had happened.

"No," Drusilla replied as she shook her head slightly. "Hell is just a plane like this one and the one you came from, and infinite others." She further explained. "You can't destroy them but sometimes under unnatural circumstances, one plane may become linked with another one."

"Right, which is probably what happened when Matt rang the bell," Stefan stated as he nodded his understanding.

"Yes, the bell was the key that opened a doorway that linked your two worlds and also linked it here to ours," Drusilla confirmed. "Bonnie," She turned to face the other witch in the room. "When you released hellfire you didn't destroy hell you just shifted it completely from your world to ours, and over time the doorway between our world and that hell world has weakened. Things have slipped through into our world and wreaked havoc. Over the centuries my family has used magic to try to fight all the evilness that has gotten through, but with every new generation it was as if the doorway got bigger and the creatures coming through got more dangerous."

"God, I'm so sorry," Bonnie said feeling genuine guilt over what she was being told.

"Psst," Damon blew out as he rolled his eyes and plopped down in the chair across from where Bonnie and Drusilla sat, as Stefan stood by the hearth of the fireplace. "You have nothing to feel sorry for Bon-Bon, you saved 'our' world," He said as he sipped at his drink.

"And to hell with everyone else, is that it Damon?" Bonnie asked irritably as she looked at her friend with a scowl. "God, why are you being so cold and suddenly so cynical?"

"Probably because in essence, he's his younger self again, the vampire Damon who was at the height of his powers," Drusilla answered and the others regarded her in confusion, and so she began to explain. "My ancestors have been trying for centuries to find a way to close the doorway to hell, but none of them knew the right spell to use, nor were any of them powerful enough."

"You've been trying for centuries?" Bonnie asked as her guilt compounded.

"Yes, time is different for each of our worlds. It's quite difficult to explain because time is different depending on which plane you're on, and how long you've been there. From your side of things and how your time worked, for every year that passed in your world it would 'seem' as if only a minute passed here."

"That's why Bonnie showed up only a few minutes after I did?" Damon asked and Drusilla nodded.

"Yes, from your perspective it seemed that way, but only because you yourself haven't been in this world for very long so in your mind things are still running by the rules of your world's time. The longer you're here the more your mind and body will align to this time. The reality is that for every century that passes here, a year passed in your world, so from Stefan's point of view because he's been here the longest, it has been a very long time from when he got here and when you came knocking on the door." Drusilla proclaimed and Stefan nodded in agreement. "Trust me it's given me headaches thinking about it too just understand that some things, like time, are very different here when you try comparing them to your old world's standards. New world, new rules just try to think of it like that. Anyway, as I was saying, it was my grandmother who had the idea that our best bet to close off the hell world from our world was to bring the ones responsible here, so she spent her entire life scouring through the timeline of your world to find you. At first, whenever she made a connection it was either too fleeting to see anything or it was too early or too late in your individual timeline, but eventually she got it right. She felt that it was imperative to grab your younger selves when you were most powerful."

"Yeah, well I was most powerful when I first arrived back in Mystic Falls, and I was also full of hate and hell bent on revenge against my brother," Damon spoke out as he sent an icy glare to Drusilla, who nodded in agreement.

"Yes, but you learned to overcome those urges. I took Stefan's younger self from when he was a Ripper," These words brought a look of concern to each of the other's face. "And Bonnie's right before she did the hellfire spell," Drusilla stated. "Because these were the times that you were all your most powerful selves, but you've also retained all of your knowledge, memories, and experiences from throughout your lives," Damon frowned up in disappointment at what she was telling them.

"Wait, so you're saying that Stefan is 'technically' a Ripper who will probably kill us all in our sleep?" Damon directed to the witch.

"He has the potential, yes, same as you have the potential to revert back to your vengeful ways, but you've always had the potential within you. You just learned how to stop that side of yourself from controlling you. You 'choose' not to let it control you," She replied. "And as I said you all have retained all of your knowledge, memories, and experiences up to the point of your deaths in your world. I know that you will not harm any innocence."

"Right, yeah, Bon-Bon I'm bunking with you," Damon said. "No offense little brother but I've seen you as a Ripper, and it's hella scary." Bonnie only nodded in reply relieved by the offer.

"No, I get it. I'm actually not comfortable with the idea of having that within me either," Stefan finally spoke out.

"But you've had it in you the entire time that you've been in my world, and how many innocent people have you tortured and slaughtered?" Drusilla questioned and Stefan regarded her with a slightly perplexed gaze as he thought about it. "Exactly, none. Yeah, you're a vampire, with a Ripper within you, but you're also a good man, Stefan. My family has been watching you for as long as you've been here, so we know you are a good man. I suspect that that goodness has kept you in control all this time. Besides, you don't need to worry I would never allow you or Damon to harm anyone, I would destroy you before it ever came to that," She promised.

"No," Bonnie spoke out as she shook her head. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath and chanted. "Spiritus Ducentia Protego Me," Suddenly a shockwave of energy went through Bonnie, Damon, and Stefan. Bonnie then opened her eyes and rested them upon Drusilla.

"What did you just do Witchy?" Damon asked as he sat stock still and nervously eyed his surroundings.

"She did a protection spell which will prevent anyone else from doing magic upon you," Drusilla was the one to answer. Damon relaxed as he smirked at the woman who had become his best friend, confidant, and greatest ally.

"Nice," Damon said as he smiled.

"They're my friends, my vampires, and they're literally all I have in this world. Sorry, but I won't allow anyone to harm them," Drusilla bowed her head a bit respectfully.

"Very well, but if they lose control-"

"I'll handle them, don't worry," Bonnie confirmed and Drusilla conceded with a nod and continued her story.

"My Grams," She said and Bonnie couldn't stop the smile that came to her face at hearing that familiar nickname. "Was able to determine that somehow you three were directly linked to the spell, you were there when it was performed, and she perfected a spell that would bring together your younger bodies here as well as your souls at the moment of your deaths in your world. Getting your soul was the easiest," She said to Stefan. "Yours came along with hell. But we had to wait some time until you two died before they could be pulled over," She stated.

"You're the Anchor of this world?" Bonnie asked?"

"Yes, but you'll learn that although we have basically everything and everyone as you have in your world, things, as they were in your world, don't apply the same here. So, yes I am the Anchor but with different rules and abilities. I'm also the last of the Bennett bloodline in this world," Drusilla said but then cast a small smile. "Well, I guess that's not true anymore."

"So, we're not ghosts and this isn't some kind of purgatory?" Bonnie asked.

"No, you're very much alive."

"No, that's not confusing," Damon spoke out as he crossed his eyes a bit. "Tell me this, you said you have everything and 'everyone' that we had in our world," His words struck Stefan with a realization and made him think of the woman he hadn't thought of for centuries.

"Yes," Drusilla said with a heavy sigh already knowing where this was leading.

"So, there is an Elena Gilbert in this world, and I get to make her fall in love with me all over again. Wait, is there another me here because competing with myself will be very hard?" He added as he frowned up a bit at te thought of it.

"No, the Damon Salvatore of this world died long ago and Stefan Salvatore of this world, who was your ancestor here not your brother, died during the Civil War," Drusilla replied.

"What about me?" Bonnie asked. "And Enzo?"

"And Elena," Damon tossed in.

"Bonnie Bennett, Elena Gilbert … and Caroline Forbes," She looked to Stefan sensing he was wondering too. "All died a very long time ago. It was a car crash. All the girls were together. Bonnie was driving and a drunk driver came out of nowhere, struck them, and all three were killed instantly."

"Wow Bonnie, you have this uncanny knack for keeping me from my lady love," Damon said and tried to sound playful and not too bitter about it.

"I died too asshole," Bonnie spat back at him outraged and hurt by his accusation. "I mean the Bonnie of this world died, and it wasn't even her fault."

"No," Drusilla agreed. "The drunk driver responsible was multi-billionaire playboy, Damon Salvatore, who was also killed in the accident," She said as she arched a brow and stared directly at Damon, who in turn gulped down the lump that had formed in his throat, as her words caused a hush and a somber feeling to fill the room. "On every plane, in every world, the same people encounter each other in some way, and not always a good way. In one world you two may be father and son," She pointed to Stefan and Damon. "Or brother and sister," She then pointed to Bonnie and Damon. "The truth is that having the Stefan, Damon, and Bonnie of this world already dead made things much easier."

"Because two of us couldn't dwell on the same plane," Bonnie stated.

"No, at least not for very long, not before one or both of you died, which is why Katherine Pierce is now dying a very slow and quite painful death," Drusilla announced and the others in the room stared at her in shock.

"What !? That bitch is still alive and she's here?" Damon nearly roared as he leaned to the edge of his seat.

"Right, because she was brought along with hell the same as me," Stefan stated and Drusilla nodded.

"Yes, but up until very recently your Katherine Pierce was bound only to the hell world, but she's managed to find an open door into our world, thus the reason you're all here now. Unfortunately, there was a Katherine Pierce already very much alive in this world, which is who I was referring to. She's just a happy go lucky teenage girl who had just started going to college. She was very excited because she got into the same college as her boyfriend, Enzo St. John," Drusilla spoke the last part a bit softer as she looked to Bonnie, who looked to be crushed at the news for a moment before she took a deep breath and shook it off. "She's suffering and I fear that because your Katherine Pierce is a vampire she will be the one to survive. I have personally taken the Katherine of this world into my care because I am the only one who knows what's happening to her, but there's really nothing I can do for her so long as the Katherine Pierce from your world roams freely here. I've tried to locate your Katherine but I am embarrassed to say that I am still quite a novice when it comes to magic. I was only able to do the spells I have because of Grams' Grimoire. She took great notes."

"Yeah, she did," Bonnie said with a warm smile. "I'll help you find our Katherine, we'll do a locator spell together," Bonnie said and brought a broad smile to Drusilla's face. "Normally, I'd need something of that person but you've got something even better. You've basically got the person so it should be very precise in locating our Katherine. So, take me to her, to your Katherine."

"Take 'us' to her," Damon replied as he stood first. "Because I want to personally dispatch of 'our' Katherine Pierce the second you find her."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** _Here's the next bit in the story, finally finding time to work on this more. Hope it all flows well and you all enjoy it. Please R &R, Thanks!_

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Traveling through town felt quite surreal for both Bonnie and Damon. Everything looked nearly identical to how they were in their Mystic Falls.

"Drusilla, do we have to worry about someone seeing us and recognizing us? I mean us of this world," Bonnie questioned as she watched the unfamiliar people that they passed.

"No, and please just call me Dru," Dru replied as she pulled her car down a long driveway and then parked in front of an old, run down, and gothic looking mansion that sat on the outskirts of Mystic Falls. In their world, Bonnie recalled that being the place the every kid stayed away from. "Your counterparts in this world have long since died. I also 'magicked' up identities for each of you, making you the descendants of yourselves. That way you inherit and now own everything the 'you' of this world possessed."

"Nice and much appreciated," Damon said from his position in the back seat beside Bonnie.

"So, my grams house…"

"I'm sorry Bonnie, this is all that we have in this world, but you are welcome to stay here with me," Dru offered as they all exited her vehicle and made their way to the door.

"No worries, Bon-Bon, you'll stay with us at the boarding house," Damon stated as if he expected no objections.

"Thanks," Bonnie replied with a nod. "Until I get more familiar with this Mystic Falls I'd feel more comfortable around familiar faces and surrounds."

"Well, the offer always stands in case you ever change your mind. It's usually just me and Esmeralda here, and she's my cat." Dru stated as she entered the house first.

Stefan, Damon, and Bonnie followed Dru through the mansion that was beautifully decorated and kept up. Its exquisite interior was hidden by its ragged exterior. They made their way down into an underground labyrinth the looked a lot like the Salvatore basement. They stopped in front of a large oak door. "We're here. Before we go inside I have to remind you that this woman is not 'your' Katherine. She's an innocent and I cannot allow you to harm her in any way," The other three standing behind her each nodded their heads, and then Dru opened the door.

"Where the hell have you been?" A male voice reached their ears as they entered the room. Bonnie let out a very low gasp as a familiar face stalked from his spot seated at the bedside to where they stood near the door.

"Enzo," Dru spoke in a calm slow voice as she regarded the obvious tired and anxious man. "These are the people that I told you about, they're going to help us find the woman who has made Kat sick," Enzo eyed the others suspiciously.

"And how exactly are they going to help Kat? She's getting worse by the minute," He said as he moved back to the bed and reached out to grasp his beloved's hand.

"This is Bonnie, she's my cousin," Dru began to explain as she pointed to Bonnie, and Enzo locked a scowl onto Bonnie. "She's a witch like me, but more powerful. She'll be able to locate the one that is making Kat sick."

"Fine," Enzo said as he stood once more. He stepped to the others as he landed cold eyes upon Bonnie. "I hope you're a better witch than she is," He spoke as he nodded his head in Dru's direction. "So, work whatever mojo you need to, and save Kat. You better save her, you have to save her, she's my everything and if I lose her…" He cut his words short as he closed his eyes a second and shook his head as if to shake away the thought. Bonnie felt her heart fall to her stomach at his endearing words for another woman. She bowed her head in an almost submissive manner which irked Damon, who scowled as he looked from Bonnie his current best friend, to the man he once thought of as his best friend. He stepped closer to Bonnie and rested a supportive hand against her lower back, and he could feel her settled her weight against him some.

"Hey," Damon spoke out and Enzo opened his eyes and looked at the slightly older man. "You need us to help you, so be more gracious," He then pointed a finger at Bonnie. "And don't ever speak to her like that again," He let his demon surface briefly, so quickly that only Enzo saw it and his face paled as he took a step back, conceding with a nod.

"I'm sorry," Enzo said as he raked his hand through his disheveled hair and moved back to the place he had taken up residence in at Kat's bedside.

"I'm going to need some things before I start," Bonnie began.

"Yeah, like sleep," Damon cut in as everyone turned to him as both Bonnie and Enzo looked as if they were readying to protest. "No arguments 'BB'," He replied using the nickname he had taken to using after his stroke years back that left him barely able to. Bonnie has moved him into to her home so she could personally take on his rehabilitation. It had been months of slurred mumbling before Damon had finally been able to call Bonnie, 'BB' and over a decade later the nickname had stuck. "You just got here which means you just died. You should rest before you start trying to use magic. Hell, you don't even know if you can do magic anymore, it's been a long time," At these words, Bonnie's face grew more serious as she focused her gaze to the cold fireplace across the room. Instantly a blazing fire popped up in the fireplace. The other's watched in amazement as the flames took on the shape of two dancing figures that twisted and twirled about in a beautiful ballet. Just as quickly as it had appeared the flames flickered and died away as Bonnie closed her eyes and stumbled back a bit into Damon's waiting arms. When Bonnie opened her eyes they locked on to Damon's concerned one that also held an 'I told you so' look.

"Maybe I should rest a bit before I start," Bonnie conceded.

"No!" Enzo loudly protested as he stood and stepped closer to them. "Kat doesn't have time to wait, look at her. I'd swear she's gotten paler since you lot have been here."

"You know what…" Damon released Bonnie and tried to move around her to get to Enzo, who took cautious steps back. Bonnie stopped Damon by placing her hand gently upon his forearm.

"Damon, stop it," She commanded and he did as she said begrudgingly with a snarl thrown Enzo's way. "Enzo," She spoke softly to him as she fought the urge to wrap her arms around him and console him as she used to do back in her world. "I'll do a healing spell on Kat. I can't guarantee that it will do much to make her better but I can promise you she will not get worse, OK?" He readily nodded and then moved aside to let Bonnie get to Kat's bedside to perform the spell.

* * *

 **Sometime Later**

* * *

Once they had returned to the boarding house Bonnie wanted to get a bath. Damon escorted her to her new bedroom, which adjoined his bedroom.

"This door is connected to my bedroom, it locks on this side," Damon stated as he led her further into the huge bedroom. "Bathroom is in here," He continued as he moved to the en-suite. "I'll run you that bath," He added as he disappearing into the bathroom

"You don't have to do that Damon," Bonnie spoke out as she moved into the bathroom after him.

"Bon, you've been bathing me for the past 10 years of my life, the least I can do is run your bath water for you," He concluded and he rolled up his sleeve and settled onto his knees beside.

"You had a stroke that left you partially paralyzed and you wouldn't run a bath for yourself," Bonnie defended as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorframe as she watched him pour in scented bath beads.

"True, but I had the means to hire a caretaker. You didn't have to take it all on, on your own," He said as he raked his hands through the perfectly hot water.

"Yes I did," Bonnie replied as she honed in on the waves in the water Damon was making. "Because you were all I had left and I wasn't going to trust your care with anyone else. I love you, you know that right?" She asked and her words garnered Damon's full attention as he looked directly at her and tossed her his endearingly crooked smile. Over the years it had become easier for both of them to openly express how they felt towards each other. They were best friends, they were family and then some.

"Yeah, I know and I love you too BB," He said as he stood from the floor and moved to the exit. He stopped just beside her in the doorway, leaned down and planted a kiss against her temple before resting his head against hers. "I'm glad you're here, now I have the two people I love most with me," With that, he exited the bathroom and moved to the bedroom door. Bonnie scowled a bit in confusion at his words as she turned to regard him. "And I'm really sorry about Enzo, Bonnie," He added and sorrow instantly washed over her face. "I know that you lived your life as you did only because you were sure that you and Enzo would be together again in the afterlife."

"Technically, we are together," She announced with a slight humorless chuckle. "Just not the way I had imagined," She ended with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "But hey, we're both getting a redo. So, we'll get to find love again, right? This time I'll get my happily ever after."

"That's right, you will Bon-Bon, you will. I guarantee it," Damon affirmed as he nodded his head and then left the bedroom quietly closing the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

Damon made his way back downstairs and to the Kitchen where he could hear Stefan rumbling around. "What's for dinner, I'm starved?" Damon asked as he settled on a stool at the island in the middle of the room.

"Just got a fresh batch of O Neg," Stefan replied as he lifted the glass full of blood up a bit in his hand.

"My fave," Damon said with a smile as he took the glass that Stefan held out to him, and greedily gulped it all down quickly.

"Don't have much of anything else in the fridge Lexi and I don't bother eating much food. We'll have to order something in case Bonnie gets hungry in the middle of the night and I'll go shopping tomorrow," Stefan said and Damon nodded in agreement. "How's Bonnie doing, you get her settled in ok?"

"Yeah, she's taking a hot bath. I took her a nightgown from yours and Lexi's bedroom, hope that's ok?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Lexi won't mind."

"Thanks, I'll take Bonnie to buy some things tomorrow, so, you and Lexi, huh?"

"Yeah, didn't quite work out in our last life, but here it's like we've been given a second chance, you know?" Damon nodded his understanding as it was the very thing that he had been thinking of himself. "I decided that this time around I'm going to live life and love life to the fullest."

"That's a good idea, little brother. I think I'm going to do the same," Damon smiled brightly at his brother who watched him with a curious look on his face. Damon then tossed Stefan a quick wink as he stood and walked back out the way he had come.

* * *

Bonnie hadn't soaked long in the bath simply because it hadn't relaxed her as she had hoped it would. So, she quickly bathed and got out. She stood a moment looking at herself in the full-length mirror attached to the bathroom door. It had been nearly 60 years since she could recall her body being so firm and supple. She stood for another moment poking and squeezing at the flesh on her 22-year-old body. With a large towel wrapped around her, she finally made her way back into the bedroom as she contemplating what she would wear, deciding on just putting back on her panties and bra. It was then that she noticed the nightgown lying on the bed. Bonnie smiled slightly and silently thanked Damon for his thoughtfulness as she slipped the silky black fabric over her petite frame. Just as the gown settled over her body a knock came to the door that adjoined her bedroom to Damon's. Bonnie moved to the door, unlocked it, and swiftly pulled it open. At seeing Damon standing on the other side his black buttoned shirt undone and exposing his chiseled physique, Bonnie had to stop herself from gawking as she forced her eye to lock onto his as she smiled up at him. That smile soon faded as she noticed the serious look on his face.

"Damon, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was…" His words faltered as he shifted his eyes from Bonnie's face down across her small voluptuous frame before they settled to lock onto her perfectly painted pretty toes. "I was just talking to Stefan about second chances. What he said was pretty much the same things you said earlier, you know, about getting another chance to find love?" He looked back up into her eyes and although they furrowed a bit in confusion she nodded her understanding, recalling her words. "I want to do that. I want to finally have the love that I've been longing for, for nearly 70 years," He added and Bonnie genuinely became confused by his words.

"Damon, what are you talking about? 70 years? Wait…but Elena…"

"Elena was my wife and I loved her, I did and we had a good life, we were very happy, but…"

"But what? You two had the perfect love, perfect life," Bonnie stated. "God, I used to envy Elena so much because I wanted what she had with you."

"Yeah, well I wanted that too, I wanted it to be you instead of Elena," Damon admitted as his words yanked a gasp from Bonnie and she stumbled back a step as she raised her hand to clutch at her chest. She then turned from the opened door and hurriedly moved to the other side of her bedroom, as if intending to hide away in the bathroom. "Please, BB, please don't run, please let me get this out. I've held this in for so long already," At his pleading Bonnie stopped and slowly turned her shocked eyes back upon her best friend. "I never told you how I felt because I didn't want to hurt you any more than I already had. I had left you because I wanted to protect you, but I only ended up hurting you. When I came back I realized how much you loved Enzo, after everything you'd lost, all the sacrifices you'd made for all of us, I decided then that you more than any of us deserved to be happy. So I never told you how I truly felt about you, that I had fallen in love with you."

"I don't understand, you loved me even back then?" Bonnie questioned.

"I 'love' you, then and now," Damon corrected her.

"When?"

"When did I fall in love with you?" Damon finished her question and Bonnie nodded her head. Damon entered her bedroom closing the adjoining door behind him. He then moved to where Bonnie stood close to the foot of the bed as she watched his every move cautiously. "I started to notice that my feelings towards you were beginning to change during our months in Kai's prison world, but that went both ways, so no big surprise," His words garnered another nod from Bonnie. "But when I returned home without you I realized then how important you had become to me. Elena had even noticed and made a comment about my feelings for you, but I excused it away easily with some nonsense. Then, after losing Elena to Kai's spell my fledgling feelings for you were pushed to the back burner because of the guilt I felt over Elena. I didn't choose her and I couldn't choose her because it would have meant losing you forever," A single tear slid slowly down Bonnie's cheek as she stood staring at him stunned. She didn't even flinch when Damon reach down and wiped away the tear. "There were so many moments when I fell in love with you Bonnie Bennett, it wasn't…isn't just one moment. Once I sat and recalled all of them up until that point, every single one and I started falling for you from the second I laid eyes on you," He said with a smirk as he used the hand that had wiped at her tears to grasp one of her hands and lift it a bit while he stared at it and rubbed his thumb across her silky soft skin. "I've wanted to tell you so many times but things always got in the way; your grief for Enzo, Elena's happiness, my stroke and then death. It was never the right time and then I ran out of time. But now I have a second chance and I'm not going to waste it," At that moment Bonnie realized how close Damon had gotten into her space; his one hand still held her hand while the other hand gripped her gently about her waist. His head bowed so low his mouth was mere inches from hers.

"Damon," Bonnie pressed her free hand against his chest as she spoke in a whisper even though they were alone in the room.

"Don't waste your breath Bon-Bon," Damon interjected not allowing her to push him away. "I'm not going to let you try to 'talk me down' from this and I'm not going to let you deny that you also have feelings for me. I know you do. I've known how you felt since my 45th birthday party and that kiss you gave me in the kitchen."

"I had a little too much to drink that night and you know it," Bonnie defended but the slight outrage that filtered in her voice didn't quite reach her eyes.

"No, that's the excuse you've been trying to convince yourself of because the truth was too difficult for you to admit. You would have had to admit that you wanted to be with your best friend's husband. I think a part of you knew how I felt even back then, and you knew that if you had let me know of your feelings I would have left Elena for you. You were right, I would have," Bonnie closed her eyes as she shook her head not to deny his words but to shake off the feelings his word invoked in her. Then she opened her eyes and looked into Damon's head on.

"But you're standing here now saying that you already knew…knew that I loved you when I kissed you, so why…" She stopped her words and bit down on her bottom lip to keep the words from falling out.

"Why didn't I just grab your hand and run out the back door never to be seen again?" He asked and although she didn't dare speak or nod her head her silence told of her need to know. "Because you weren't ready to admit the truth, you're still not ready, and until you admit how you really feel about me, you'll keep trying to run from me, from us, from this," He released her hand and cupped her face as he swooped in and captured Bonnie's warm, soft lips with his own. The kiss lasted for only a few seconds but it left them both panting and wanting more as they stood with eyes closed, foreheads pressed together, and their mouths slightly open. "And the happiness we can finally have together. I swear we can be so happy Bon. Let me show you, let me love you," Damon words were now low and seductive and Bonnie found herself swooning a bit and if it weren't for Damon's arm wrapped more securely around her waist she probably would have slinked down to the floor. He captured her mouth again with his, his hands unabashedly groped at her silk covered body as he moved them backward until Bonnie toppled back upon the bed with him falling lightly atop her.

Any words of protest left Bonnie's lips as they sucked hard at Damon's. And thoughts of guilt or thoughts of Elena and even Enzo were pushed aside by her thoughts of how good it felt to have Damon's body against her, and the thoughts of how it will feel to have him inside of her. Her body did not disagree with Damon's manipulative touches but it welcomed them and participated with gyrating movements that invoked growls from Damon's chest. Both Bonnie and Damon internally sighed as their minds filled with a single thought of 'finally'. She spread her legs open to Damon and lifted one to give him freer reign and he traced his hands and fingers up her leg and then thigh, pushing away the gown that covered them. The moment was perfect and a moment they both felt had been long overdue. It was a firm knocking at Bonnie's bedroom door that allowed the outside world to come crashing back down on them, and although Damon fully intended to ignore whoever was on the other side of the door, he could tell by the way Bonnie pushed at him that she wouldn't. The spell they had been under was now broken and Damon knew it was a moment and mood they would not get back at this time, and so he lifted off of Bonnie and flashed to the bedroom door swinging it open with a ferocity that showed his irritation. He hadn't even realized that his face held his vampiric guise and deadly leer as he stared at the person standing across the threshold.

"Sorry Damon, I was sure this was Bonnie's room," Lexi said as she lifted her finger and tapped at her nose to indicate she could smell Bonnie inside. All while she appreciatively raked her eyes over Damon's muscular chest.

"It is," Bonnie spoke out as she appeared, ducking under Damon's arm where he stood gripping the door frame. She gently elbowed Damon who snarled his unhappiness at the interruption and then turned from the door, moved back to the bed, where he dramatically flopped back upon. "Hi Lexi, it's nice to see you again … Alive," Bonnie greeted with a smile.

"You too, though technically we're both dead now, and least in the old Mystic Falls. Ugh, it still confuses me. Anyway, when I returned home," At those words, Bonnie arched an inquisitive brow. "A story for another time," Lexi giggled out and Bonnie's smile widened as she nodded in agreement. "Stefan mentioned that you arrived with just the clothes on your back so I thought I'd give you a few…more things," Lexi said as she took in what Bonnie was currently wearing. "To tide you over," She then handed Bonnie a bundle of clean, neatly folded clothes.

"Thank you and I'll make sure to return everything as soon as I figure out how I'm going to buy myself some things," Bonnie said as she frowned up a bit. "40 years at my last job with an excellent pension, now it looks like I'll be starting all over again."

"Don't worry about it Bon I got you covered. I'm filthy rich here too remember?" Damon offered from his position sprawled out on the bed. "I'll take you shopping tomorrow."

"Thanks, and I'll pay you both back as soon as I find a job," Bonnie replied with determination in her voice.

"Don't worry about it I've got plenty of clothes for us both," Lexi said as she waved her hand dismissively. "Well, I'll let you two get back to whatever it was that I interrupted," She added as she arched her brow questioningly.

"One of those stories for another time," Bonnie tossed out with a giggle.

"Right, goodnight," Lexi's words got an immediate and very loud growl from Damon, which made her giggle and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Goodnight Lexi," Bonnie called out after the petite blonde who was already making her way back down the corridor. She then closed the door and turned back to Damon with an irked look which disappeared when she found him lying with his arm across his eyes. "You know, as I recall you had gotten a lot mellower and less rude in your golden years."

"Yeah, well now I'm back to the 25-year-old vampire me, who wasn't particularly nice to many, present company excluded of course," He added quickly.

"Of course," She repeated his words as she moved to the nearby bureau, opened a top drawer and placed the close inside before closing it again and then turning back to a pouting Damon Salvatore.

"And I had a lot less patience, especially for cock blockers," He grumbled out as he sat up more and rested his upper body on his elbows. He watched Bonnie as she made a slow trek back to the bed, letting his eyes honed onto the delicious sway of her hips. "There's probably no chance we'll pick things up where they left off is there? You're going to give me some speech about how we shouldn't do it even though there's no one in this world to stop us."

"Yes, we could pick things back up where we left them, and no I have no speeches to give you," Her words had Damon shifting up into a sitting position as he eyeballed her skeptically waiting for the but he knew was coming, and Bonnie didn't disappoint him. "But although I will now freely admit that I have feelings for you Damon, feelings deeper than just being best friends and family, I'm still in love with Enzo," He opened his mouth to protest but she silenced him by raising her hand and shaking her head a bit. "It would be easier if I had spent a lifetime with him like you did with Elena. It would be easier if he wasn't here in this world, in human form just the way that he and I…" She closed her mind on that thought. "I've spent most of my life pining for him, looking forward to the day we would be together again. Now I know that it's never going to happen. It's going to take me some time to move on from him," Damon nodded at her words letting her know that he would give her some time, but knowing Damon as well as she did she knew that wouldn't stop him from trying to seduce her every chance he could. He stood from the bed, moved to her, dipped his head, and placed a quick peck on her lips before moving back to the adjoining bedroom door. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

"I'll give you as much time as you want BB, just know that I won't let Enzo…not his ghost nor the human version in this world come between us. In this world, this lifetime we are going to be together," He said in a commanding tone and his words made Bonnie giddy and she felt very special having that kind of attention from Damon.

"Whether I like it or not, huh?" She asked in a teasing tone and a saucy smile crept across Damon's face.

"Don't worry Bon-Bon, you're going to love every second of it, I promise," With that said he reentered his room closing the door behind him. "You probably should lock that, in case I change my mind about waiting," Bonnie heard Damon call out through the door. She took a couple of hurried steps towards the door with the intention of locking it but then stopped, turned and made her way to the oversized bed, and climbed onto it. She made up her mind then and there that she wanted Damon and if he wanted to come into her room to ravage her in the middle of the night she'd let him and reciprocate in kind. She knew she loved Damon but the love she also held in her heart for Enzo was stronger and she didn't yet know how to be free of it, but she knew that she would try. She truly wanted to see where this thing with Damon would and could go.


	5. Chapter 5

The dream had been so vivid and felt so real, she found herself lying in her childhood home, in the bed she had always felt safest in. The nighttime outside of her bedroom window held a full moon. She rose from her bed and walk to the window and there perched on the branch of the large tree just outside her window was a black bird with vibrant blue eyes. Bonnie felt enthralled as she gazed into the eyes of the black bird who hopped the short distance from the branch over to her window sill. The blackbird began to hit its beak against the window pane as the night sky around it became darker and the branches of the tree began to swing and bellow as the winds outside picked up and began to howl. The blackbird pecked at the window pane with more urgency, and as Bonnie took a closer step to the window the bird's blue eyes seemed more familiar to her.

"Damon?" She called out to the bird and as she reached out to open the window and let the bird that she was sure was Damon inside a voice made her snap her head around.

"Bonnie, love," The male voice that Bonnie had spent most of her life longing to hear again, spoke softly to her.

"Enzo?" Bonnie half gasped, half cried out as she turned to find him standing just at the threshold of her bedroom doorway. "Oh my God, Enzo, is it really you?"

"Yeah, it's me, love," He confirmed as he held out his hand to her. She took a step but stalled at hearing the frantic pecking at the window which now sounded like a harsh banging. Bonnie turned to see the blackbird struggling against the hurricane force winds that blew outside, and she knew if she didn't let him inside he would surely die.

"Damon, hold on!" She yelled over the howls of the wind as she again reached for the window, and again was stopped by Enzo calling to her.

"Bonnie, help me!" Enzo called to her in a panicked voice and when she turned she watched in horror as he became engulfed in flames.

"Enzo!" Bonnie screamed as she stood transfixed watching him burn. She felt torn. Her tears poured down her face, her heart pounded, and her chest heaved as she stood gripped with fear and unable to move, unable to save either of the two men she loved most, too afraid to save one at the loss of the other. "No!" Bonnie screamed out as her body shook all over.

"Bonnie," Damon spoke softly to the sleeping beauty he held possessively in his arms as he lay with her in the large bed. He had heard her crying out in her sleep and rushed to her side to console her. "Come on BB wake up," He shook her gently as he placed soft kisses on her forehead until her eyes snapped open, wide and panic-stricken.

"Damon," Bonnie gasped out as she reached out and gripped his muscular bare forearms and then brushed the palms of her hand across his bare chest. Her actions were one of reassurance and nothing sexual so Damon stalled all snarky remarks he would have normally thrown at her. "You didn't die…you didn't die," She sobbed out and her distraught demeanor wouldn't allow him to point out that in this world he was technically once again one of the undead, a vampire. Somehow he knew that wasn't what she meant.

"No, I'm here BB, I'm right here and I've got you," Damon whispered as he pulled her closer and again kissed her on her head. Bonnie welcomed his closeness and she clung to him, closed her eyes and drank in the feel of him, the smell of him, and his entire essence.

"I couldn't save you," She whimpered out as she buried her face against his chest. "I couldn't save either of you and I lost you both," She added and Damon's brow furrowed in confusion to her words but he didn't question her to allow her to tell her dream at her own pace. She pulled back a bit and looked up into her eyes. "We did really die and then we were brought to an alternate world with Stefan and … and Enzo … But he's not my Enzo?" Damon only nodded to her words and she clamped her eyes shut to the realization. "I couldn't save him in my dreams just like I couldn't save him back then. I tried to save him after he died, did I ever tell you about that?" She asked as she opened her eyes to look back up at him as she rested more comfortably in his arms, while they both lay cozily against the massive pillows in the bed. Again Damon simply shook his head not allowing his words to interrupt Bonnie's words. "I did, I was sure that I could do a spell that would bring Enzo back but my mom stopped me when she sensed that I was actually being pulled to the other side with him. I knew it too, I could feel myself going and I wanted to go. I didn't care where it was as long as I was with Enzo and we were together. But my mom set him on fire to break the spell and ensure that I could never try it again." At hearing those words Damon felt a new appreciation for Abby Bennett. "He burned in my dream too because I couldn't choose…" She frowned up a little as she recalled the nightmare she had been having. She then realized where she was and whose arms she was lying in and she scrabbled back from Damon's embrace and he released her almost sorrowfully and watched her jump from the bed. "What are you doing in here?" Bonnie questioned in an accusatory tone as she wrapped her arms around herself to cover the flesh that the nightgown left exposed.

"You were having a bad dream so I came to check on you," Damon explained as he rolled more on his side and rested his weight against his elbow, never giving any indication that he was getting out of the bed.

"Well, I'm fine now so you can leave and next time don't just assume that I need you coming in here to climb in bed with me, and to do God only knows what you were doing while I was sleeping," She huffed out and regretted her words as she notice Damon's eyes narrow into a glare as his lip curled a bit, telling her he was getting irritated.

"Clearly you're not fine because I have not seen Judgy Bennett or Bitchy Bennett for many decades now," He spat at her and the words were like a slap in the face and she flinched a bit, which was just the reaction Damon had wanted to cause.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie spoke softly as she bowed her head a bit in shame at her words. She knew Damon Salvatore better than anyone ever had, Stefan and Elena included. So, she knew he would never take advantage of her in any situation. "I … I just don't want to have to choose. I can't choose Damon," She said as if she were making a confession to a priest. Damon stood from the bed and moved around to stand before her.

"What are the choices?" He asked although he already had a pretty good idea from the names he had heard her calling in her dream.

"Enzo," She quickly said. "And … you, the two men that I … That mean the most to me." She stammered over her words. "I feel like if I choose one I'll lose the other, and I don't think I can choose. But if I don't choose I'll lose you both." Damon nodded his understanding as he stepped closer to her.

"Come here," He coaxed as he reached out for her. She stepped away from him but he grasped her wrist stilling her and pulled her back. She allowed him to pull her back into his arms and she sighed, closed her eyes and rested her head against his quiet chest. "Bonnie it's a very easy choice," He spoke into her hair where he had pressed his lips. "Enzo, our Enzo is gone," He could feel her stiffen up at his words. Before she could push away from him he held her closer not wanting her to leave before she heard what he had to say. "Enzo died a very long time ago BB and he's never coming back," Bonnie silently struggled against him and he could feel her tears wet his chest. "I'm not saying this to be cruel. You should know by now how much I love you Bonnie Bennett and that I would never purposely hurt you," These words made her stop struggling and her shoulders shook in her despair and at the reality that his words created for her. "I know that you've lived your life the way you did; never allowing yourself to find love, to settle down to have a family, have children because you truly believed that when you died you and Enzo would finally be together. I'm sorry Bon, I'm so fucking sorry that this is not the afterlife you wanted, that you're not going to get the happily-ever-after that you had imagined with Enzo," She let out a mournful sob at these words as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. "But I'm here," He pushed her away a bit and placed his large hands on either side of her face, forcing her to look up at him. "You still have me you'll always have me, and if you'll let me I can make you happy."

Bonnie stared up at him letting her eyes search his as if seeking the sincerity in his words. In her heart she knew what he was telling her was the truth, and she had known it from the second she awoke to this world and learned that 'her' Enzo wasn't here. As for always having Damon, well, that she'd known since he had come back into her life after 3 years spent desiccating. After their reconciliation, he had kept his promise to never leave her again, and it had only been his death that caused them to part. The part of his words that wouldn't sink in for her was his declaration to make her happy. Could he, would he? She wouldn't lie to herself and deny the fact that she had sometimes thought about it, about what it might feel like to be loved by Damon. If the truth be told she wasn't sure if he even knew how to love. Many would say that he had loved Elena but he seemed more obsessed with her.

"You said you loved me," Bonnie began to speak and Damon quickly corrected her words.

"I 'love' you, yes," He declared once more as he now searched her eyes hoping that she might be ready to accept his love for her.

"But can you, really?" She asked as she frowned up a bit while looking up at him.

"If you let me-"

"No," She cut off his words as she shook her head. "I mean are you capable of loving?" Bonnie could read this man so well and his emotions played so easily within his eyes. Like a switch, she could see that her question had angered and insulted him. "I know that you love your brother, but that's an entirely different kind of love than what I mean. You are kind Damon and you're also very loyal, devoted, possessive and obsessive. But have you ever truly been in love with someone, are you 'in love' with me?" She appreciated the fact that he stood there actually contemplating her words and he didn't simply spit out that he had been in love with Elena since they both knew he had not been.

"What do you want me to say, Bonnie?" He asked and she opened her mouth to tell him that those words had said it all, but he hadn't finished yet and so he kept on speaking. "Who decides what love is or what being in love is? Who defines it?" She bowed her head a bit at his words and Damon could see that he wasn't saying what she wanted to hear. But theirs was the kind of relationship, friendship, and she was the one person in his life that he never had to pull punches with and could always speak what was on his mind and in his heart. "All I know is that I'm happier when you're around me than when you're not. I get depressed when you go away for an extended time and the only thing that brings me out of it is when you call and I get to hear your voice. Whenever I'm going through some really bad shit and I feel like I'm going to either kill someone or kill myself you show up and I silently say, 'Oh thank God, Bonnie's here. She'll listen to me bitch and moan and then she'll know just what to say to make it all better.' And you always do," Bonnie couldn't stop herself from smiling at his words and dramatics. "When I really knew that I was dying I kept praying to a God I never had much use for before and I asked for 2 things, just 2 things; to let me see my little brother again and to have you there with me. Let me tell you that filled me with a lot of guilt because I was sure I was going to some hell and I knew you didn't deserve to go there. But we both know I'm a selfish bastard so I still wanted you right there beside me," He smirked and when she giggled at him he lifted his hand and stroked his thumb across her cheek. "Bonnie, all I know is that I don't want any life or afterlife without you in it. I honestly can't …" He stalled as he looked off a bit and shook his head, and Bonnie wasn't sure if he couldn't find the right words or if he had gotten distracted by something and lost his train of thought. Then, his eyes refocused back onto hers and he continued his words. "I don't want to live my life without you with me. Now, I don't know what you call that but I-" His words ended as Bonnie quickly leaned up and captured his lips with her own. Damon was only stunned for a millisecond before he found his bearings and gripped at her hips to move her closer. Bonnie ended the kiss just as quickly as it had begun pulling herself from Damon's grasp. "Ok, I'm not sure what I did right or what I did wrong there," Damon panted out his eyes darkening with heightened arousal,

"You did it all right Damon," Bonnie acknowledged with a smile which Damon matched with one of his own.

"Well, ok then," He said as he moved to grab her and pull her back into a kiss.

"But," That one word falling from Bonnie's lips was like a bucket of ice water being poured down Damon's back without him being warned beforehand, and he groaned a bit in frustration. "I'm sorry Damon I'm just not quite ready for this," Damon raked his hands through his head which he bowed a bit as he nodded.

"You're still not ready to try a relationship with me because you're holding on to the memories of a dead man who's now dust in the wind," He spoke in a snappy tone and with hurtful words that showed his irritation. "But I can wait for as long as you want me to because you're worth it." After a pregnant pause with Bonnie gaping at him, she finally found her voice to reply.

"My God, how can you be such an asshole one second and then be so freaking sweet, all in one breath?" She asked truly wondering.

"I guess it's just one of my many talents," He countered as he continued to pout.

"I only meant that I'm not ready for a sexual relationship yet and I know if I keep letting you kiss me like you kiss me, we'll end up in that bed probably for hours," He smiled pleasingly at her words and the imagery they invoked.

"Days," He interjected and her eyes widened a bit as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"D…days?" She repeated and he bit his bottom lip as he quirked his brows at her and nodded his head. She had to shake off the thoughts that had been conjured in her mind. "What I'm saying, Damon is that I want to 'try' to see where this could lead…between us."

"Wait, so you're saying that you know I like you and you like me too and you want to be my girlfriend?" He teased in a sing-song tone to which Bonnie smiled as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Yes, Damon," She agreed.

"I accept," Damon spoke as he flashed to her, gripped her about the waist dipping her a bit with the intention of kissing her long and proper like.

"No, no kissing," He arched his brow and send her his 'you cannot be serious' look. "Well, at least, not in a confined space, like a bedroom, where the kissing could lead to lovemaking."

"But I would make it so good for you Bon-Bon," He leaned down and whispered into her ear. Her eyes drifted closed as a shiver ran through her. When she felt his hands on her hips tugging she opened her eyes once more and casually removed his hands from her body.

"I'm sure you will when I'm ready, but I'm not ready for that … 'yet'," She spoke as she looked up at him with pleading eyes. Damon understood that she was asking of him and that she was expecting him to be the chivalrous gentleman that he only ever was when he was with her. She didn't trust herself when he tried to romance her so she wanted him to control himself so she wouldn't have to try to control herself. So he nodded as he moved his hands behind his back and then took several steps back from her and towards their adjoining door.

"You really should lock this door when I leave," He said as he opened it and crossed the threshold back into his room. "Goodnight Bonnie," He tossed out as he shut the door.

"Goodnight Damon," She replied as she watched him disappear behind the large door, she moved to it and flipped the lock. She then raised her hand and rested it against the door as if somehow knowing that at that same moment Damon was doing that very same thing on the other side. Then with a sigh, they both turned and went back to bed.


End file.
